Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 40 points to help the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-105 on Tuesday, extending their winning streak to 12 games.
This is the Thunder’s longest streak since early in the 2012-13 season, tying the record for the franchise since it moved to Oklahoma City. The longest streak in franchise history is a 12-game run by the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics.
After a slow start, Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams each had 14 points and seven rebounds, with Williams also adding seven assists.
For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards scored 13 of his 20 points in the second quarter, but their three-game win streak was broken. Naz Reid contributed 19 points and eight rebounds, Mike Conley scored 16 points, Julius Randle added 11 points and six assists, and Donte DiVincenzo had 10 points and five assists.
Minnesota trailed by 14 points entering the fourth quarter but cut the lead to three twice in the final 3:14. However, each time Oklahoma City answered back.
The last response came with just under two minutes left, when Williams passed the ball to Gilgeous-Alexander near the top of the key, and he hit a 3-pointer to give the Thunder a six-point lead with 1:48 remaining.
This was Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth 40-point game of the season, with three of those coming during the Thunder’s current streak.
In the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant. With just a few seconds left in the quarter, he drove to the basket, made a layup that hung in the air for a moment before dropping, and the crowd erupted. That gave him 19 points in the quarter.
The Timberwolves turned the ball over 11 times in the third, allowing Oklahoma City to score 20 points off those mistakes. The Thunder finished with 31 points from Minnesota’s season-high 24 turnovers. Oklahoma City committed 13 turnovers, leading to 10 points for the Timberwolves.
While the Timberwolves set the tone defensively in the first half and held the Thunder to a 39.6% shooting percentage, Oklahoma City dominated the third quarter, outscoring Minnesota 43-23 and taking control of the game.
